MORENA begins path toward becoming a political party in Mexico

General view of Mexico City's Zocalo Square taken during a gathering called by the former presidential candidate for the leftist coalition Progressive Movement of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, on September 9, 2012. (Photo by Getty Images)

The Movement for National Regeneration, or MORENA – which has supported Andrés López Obrador, better known as AMLO, since the crisis of 2006 – held an assembly this weekend to begin the groundwork toward becoming a political party in Mexico, El Universal reports.

This occurred in District 23 in Mexico City located in Coyocán, where 266 delegates voted in favor of MORENA becoming a political party – 40 voted against this. However, there are 299 other districts that are yet to vote with respect to this transition, according to the same report.

While some columnists wondered if this split will further divide and complicate the left in Mexico, there are alternative views about this latest development in the political landscape south of the border.

Political Science professor and researcher Juan Luis Hernández Avendaño with the Iberoamerican University in Puebla answered a few questions via email to shed some light on this latest move by López Obrador and the MORENA.

Was the separation between Andrés Manuel López Obrador and the left anticipated?

AMLO’s withdrawal from the PRD (Democratic Revolution Party) was somewhat expected. Back in 2012 when the PRD and the PAN, or National Action Party, created an alliance for the sub-national elections, AMLO had threatened with leaving the party – in fact, he put his negative reaction to this alliance in writing. In 2011 during the period previous to the (presidential) campaigns, AMLO only appeared on the spots of the PT (Labor Party) and Citizens’ Movement (MC), since then AMLO was seeing as very distant from the PRD. This was no surprise.

What does the split means for the Left in Mexico’s political landscape?

AMLO’s departure from the PRD, without adhering to the PT or Citizens’ Movement and with the possibility of creating his own party (MORENA) is a decision which is good for all. AMLO creates the fourth leftist party of the political spectrum in Mexico, most likely with good acceptance and registry for the intermediate elections of 2015. This while getting public money and probably positions in Congress. In this case, the leaders of the PRD are free to negotiate with the new government; in other words, the moderate left stays with the PRD and possibly with Citizens’ Movement. Then, the radical left stays with the PT and MORENA. So, each party remains in its niche, fighting for positions and influence.

Is this decision the best for the politico from Tabasco and the left?

The most interesting (development) is that the moderate and the radical left have learned in the last two presidential elections that they cannot go divided and in the separate ways to the contest. In the next five years (the parties) will go their own route, each seeking their own sphere of influence, but there is no doubt that they’ll present together one presidential candidate in 2018 – that’s my scenario. Therefore, what has been disseminated in Mexico as a leftist fracture, I see it more as a strategic decision in which all win, moderates and radicals both find their niche where they’ll operate more comfortably.

While Professor Hernández Avendaño doesn’t seem to discard a possible third presidential bid by López Obrador, others might not see a chance for that scenario to occur in 2018.

“The time for AMLO as a presidential candidate has expired,” said Cintia Smith, who also teaches political at Monterrey Tech, via email.

Whether López Obrador runs a third time for the presidency or not, but it’s clear that the Tabasqueño and MORENA won’t be disappearing from the political and social landscape south of the border anytime soon, playing a visible and influential role in the left.